wanton

C2+ Topic:Describing People

US /ˈwɑn.tən/ UK /ˈwɒn.tən/ See IPA manual

adj noun

Meanings

1

adj
deliberately and unprovokedly cruel, or lewd and unrestrained

The wanton destruction of the orchard shocked the village.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · deliberately and... gratuitous unprovoked reckless lewd licentious malicious unrestrained lascivious

Opposites

restrained chaste justified disciplined

Word family

Forms wantonness

Derived forms wantonlywantonness

Related forms wan wanhope

Etymology

From Middle English wantowen, a compound of the privative prefix wan- ('lacking, un-') and towen, past participle of teon ('to draw, train, discipline'); thus literally 'undisciplined'.

wan- Old English togen Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing People

# wanton

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** ˈwɑn.tən
**IPA (UK):** ˈwɒn.tən

## Meanings
1. deliberately and unprovokedly cruel, or lewd and unrestrained

## Examples
- The wanton destruction of the orchard shocked the village.

## Synonyms
- gratuitous
- unprovoked
- reckless
- lewd
- licentious
- malicious
- unrestrained
- lascivious

## Antonyms
- restrained
- chaste
- justified
- disciplined

## Derived Forms
- wantonly
- wantonness

## Related Forms
- wan
- wanhope

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: wan-
- Root: togen

## Etymology
From Middle English wantowen, a compound of the privative prefix wan- ('lacking, un-') and towen, past participle of teon ('to draw, train, discipline'); thus literally 'undisciplined'.

## AI Etymology
Wanton comes from Middle English wantowen, a compound of the privative prefix wan- ('lacking, un-') and towen, past participle of teon ('to draw, train, discipline'); thus literally 'undisciplined'. In current use it is an adjective and noun meaning "deliberately and unprovokedly cruel, or lewd and unrestrained". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The older privative prefix wan- supplies the idea of lack or deficiency. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English wan- and Old English togen. Related English forms include wan and wanhope. Derived forms include wantonly and wantonness. As a result, the modern word is best read as a negative, privative, or reversative formation built on a historically older base.

## Topics
- Describing People

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wanton

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